Two hours south of Houston,
Texas on Highway 59 is Goliad, Texas. Just south of this town sits the most
fought over spot in Texas history—nine different flags have flown over the
Presidio La Bahia.
The Presidio
The presidio’s history is
clouded in violence. This is why so many people believe the area is haunted.
The most atrocious act that
occurred at La Bahia happened during the Texas Revolution in March of 1836.
During the Battle of Coleto, General Santa Anna’s troops were able to retake
the fort from the Texas troops.
The nine different flags that flew above the fort.
Over 300 Texas soldiers
surrendered. Several days after this battle, Santa Anna ordered the massacre of
all these soldiers. They were marched out of the fort in three different groups
and shot at point-blank range. These men were buried in a mass grave at La Bahia. Today a memorial stands at the site to honor them.
This is the reason why a month later, in
April of 1836, Texas soldiers' rallying cry was “ Remember Goliad” * when they defeated
the Mexicans and gained independence for Texas during the Battle of San
Jacinto.
* They also yelled, “Remember the Alamo.”
La Bahia continued to be
occupied by soldiers, and then by priests. Today, the Catholic Diocese of
Victoria owns the “Quarters” at the presidio. It is a National Historic
Landmark.
In the 1960s, La Bahia was
rebuilt. A museum was opened that highlights the fort’s bloody history. The
architecture at the presidio is considered one of the finest examples of the
Spanish Colonial style in America.
Once opened, visitors began
to report strange encounters at La Bahia.
These reports back up the
claims that restless spirits remain in the area.
Common encounters include the
sounds of footsteps heard on the roof, while visitors are in the Quarters and the sound of distance canon fire. There are also many other reports of
strange unexplained sounds around the fort--including footsteps in the wee hours.
Most chilling of all is the
eyewitness reports of seeing spectral soldiers walking around the grounds.
Because of these encounters, various
paranormal groups have investigated La Bahia. Their evidence is presented in several
videos on YouTube.
The Quarters
Today, tourists can stay
overnight in one of the rooms in the Quarters area—the cost is $200.00.
In the spring—the presidio, despite its otherworldly residents, is quite peaceful. Wildflowers bloom on the
gentle slopes that surround it.
This Civil War battle was the
result of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North in
September of 1862.
One day of intense fighting
turned the Antietam battle into one of the bloodiest of the war—second only to
Gettysburg in devastation.
Bodies after the battle.
Lee’s troops met the Union
army at Antietam Creek * on the 17th near the small town of
Sharpsburg in Maryland. A staggering 23,100 men were wounded, killed or were
missing in action after these two armies collided in cornfields and farmlands.
* In 1933, the National Park
Service took over this site making it a National Park.
In just four hours alone,
along a sunken road that separated two farms 5,000 men died.
Lee’s troops had reached this
road and stayed, thinking at first it provided some protection. Soldiers on both
sides fired continuously as the Union soldiers tried to take the position.
Finally, the Confederate
soldiers were overrun—bodies fell on top of bodies along this bloody road.
Part of the Sunken Road now
known as Bloody Lane.
Today this road is called Bloody Lane. People who visit it claim
it leaves an eerie impression. For no matter how many visitors roam this old
road on any given day—it remains deathly quiet.
Many modern-day visitors have
experienced strange activity along Bloody Lane. The sounds of gunfire and the
smell of gunpowder are reported when no one is around.
One male visitor to Antietam National Battlefield spotted several men wearing Confederate uniforms as he walked Bloody Lane.
At first, he thought they were war re-enactors but then he saw them vanish.
Another strange encounter
occurred when a group of Baltimore schoolboys visited the lane. They heard
singing out in the fields. They described it as a chant or the Christmas song Deck the Halls.
They heard Fa-la-la-la-la
sung repeatedly.
Observation tower along Sunken Road.
Their encounter is telling in
that during the battle an Irish brigade charged the Confederates near the
observation tower located along Sunken Road. These Irish soldiers battle
cry was in Gaelic and sounded like a Christmas carol.
Burnside bridge
Another active area on the
battlefield is Burnside’s Bridge. It was here that General Ambrose Burnside
finally pushed the Confederate troops back after several previous attempts.
Many soldiers were buried
quickly near this bridge in unmarked graves.
At night, visitors near this bridge report seeing a strange glowing blue light moving around the area. Others
report hearing the cadence of a drum playing—this sound fades away into the
distance.
Ghostly mist captured by
one canon. Photo by
Belinda Franks
Today five upside down canon
barrels mark the spots where five generals died during the battle. Photographs taken in these areas sometimes have strange mists or light anomalies in them.
It appears some of the
soldiers who perished during the Antietam Battle are more than just a memory.
Two houses-- the Pry House and
the Piper House both stand on the battlefield. These structures are haunted as
well.
Witnesses report hearing
footsteps on the stairs and seeing apparitions.
The Pry House was where Union
Maj. General George B. McClellan made his headquarters. A woman seen in this
house is believed to be Francis the wife of General Richardson.
Pry House as it appeared during battle.
Richardson was wounded during
this battle and Francis nursed him on his deathbed.
Another structure near the
battlefield in Sharpsburg is the St. Paul Episcopal Church. This building was
used as a Confederate hospital following the battle.
Members of this church have
heard screams, which they believe to be the southern soldiers who were wounded
and dying in this makeshift hospital.
Other witnesses have seen
lights flickering on and off in St. Paul’s tower.
Excerpts used in this post are from an article
written by Rickie Longfellow a member of the West Licking Historical Society. Here is a stark collection of
Then and Now photos taken at
Antietam. Warning: many are graphic in nature.
It is said this huge sandstone
castle located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio has some friendly ghosts.
Cleveland like many cities in
the mid 1800s had their own militia. They were known as the “Cleveland Grays”
after the gray uniforms they wore.
This unit was the first group
from Cleveland to fight in the Civil War. They also fought in the Spanish
American War and during the First World War with the 145th Infantry
in 1916.
Grays Amory is an impressive fortress that is located across from the Erie Street Cemetery. It is
not known if this cemetery has something to do with the hauntings.
The armory has a 10,000
square foot ballroom, a library and a shooting range in its basement. It is
used for both military and community functions.
Photo by Ron Skinner
My stepmother lived in Shaker
Heights for many years. She attended several concerts held at the armory. She mentioned
that once she got an overwhelming sense of nausea while visiting this building.
On another occasion she became
uneasy. She told me that it felt like something was watching her.
Photo By Ron Skinner
Typical stories about the
haunting in this fortress include phantom footsteps when the building is empty
and lights acting up. Other reports state witnesses
have seen the apparitions of Civil War soldiers at Grays.
The Point Lookout Lighthouse
located at the southern tip of Point Lookout in Scotland, Maryland is
considered a hot spot of paranormal activity. Because of treacherous storms in
the area, many shipwrecks occurred in the years before 1827. Congress finally
took note and ordered a small beacon light be built to protect passing ships.
This lighthouse was completed in 1830. It originally had one and a half stories.
After the Civil War, this
lighthouse was expanded when a fog bell tower was built, and porches were added
on the front and back of the building. In 1888 water erosion threatened the
lighthouse. A wood and steel bulwark was constructed to protect its cement
foundation. Today the building is much closer to the shoreline because of this continued erosion. By 1930, the lighthouse was enlarged to its present size. Hot and
cold running water was installed, and the house was split into two apartments.
In 1939 the station was
transferred to the United States Coast Guard. But civilian keepers remained to
maintain the light. In 1965, an offshore steel tower replaced the Point Lookout
Lighthouse. The state of Maryland leased the buildings to the Navy in 2002, but
by 2006 the state of Maryland took control. Today the Point Lookout
Preservation Society holds occasional open houses during the day. This society
allows paranormal groups in to do investigations of the lighthouse for a
nominal $50.00 fee. This is a good idea--other preservation societies should
take note.
The first lighthouse keeper
to be assigned to Point Lookout in the early 1830s died within months of arriving.
His daughter Ann Davis took over his duties. She remained the keeper until her
death in the lantern room while performing her daily tasks. It is said she
haunts this building. A famous photograph was taken that shows her ghost
standing at the head of the stairs wearing a white blouse and light blue skirt.
Many of the ghostly sightings
at the lighthouse are that of Confederate and Union soldiers. The reason for
this is because a Civil War prison camp and hospital were near the
tower. One witness, Gerald Sword stayed by himself in the lighthouse in
1970. He heard doors being slammed closed, moans, and the sound of men snoring, as well as objects crashing to the floor. When he inspected the area, nothing was
amiss. He also felt cold spots.
Many witnesses have seen a
Union soldier guarding the steps of the light. Laura Berg--the Secretary of
State for Maryland in the 1980s lived in the Point Lookout Lighthouse with her
husband in the 1970s. One night while lying in bed, she heard footsteps outside
her bedroom door. They were heavy as if the person were wearing boots. This
sound ended as mysteriously as it began. The couple continued to hear
footsteps in the hall at night.
The Bergs also heard other
noises. They often awoke to strange smells in the house. One night Berg awakened
to see six strange lights over her head. She bolted upright and smelled the
odor of smoke coming from the first floor. She ran downstairs and discovered
the heater had caught fire. The flames were extinguished quickly. Berg feels
that it was the ghosts that alerted her to this danger.
Nancy Stallings, a medium with
the Maryland Committee for Psychical Research, is standing in the middle of one
of the lighthouse’s’ bedrooms above. A soldier appears in the photo to the
right of Nancy. This soldier was not seen by any of the participants.
Many EVP’s have been recorded
in this lighthouse over the years. One group picked up 24 distinct voices
recorded in various places around the house. An EVP captured a voice
stating: “Fire if they get too close to
you.“ It is believed this is the voice of a Union soldier guarding the
prisoners in the camp. Another EVP picked up in the lighthouse basement is that
of shutters slamming in the wind. There was no wind the day this was recorded, and the shutters had been removed years before.
Here is a must see link that has many EVP’s that have been recorded at Point Lookout Lighthouse. Just click
on the word or words in the boxes under the “Sound” category, and they will take
you to the recording. The second one, entitled “drums” is impressive. The following is a link to The Ghosts of Point Lookout Part l where I share stories about ghosts from a Civil War hospital and Confederate prisoner of war camp.
In late December of 1779 Christopher Billop the owner of Billop House located on Staten Island
in New York accused one of his female servants of spying on him for the
Colonists. The American Revolutionary war had commenced and Billop was an avid
British loyalist. He very large in statue was known to be a man with a
violent temper. A colonel, he led a Tory detachment during the Revolutionary War and despised any who fought against
the English.
When he accused this female
servant of spying on him she vehemently denied his charges. This enraged Billop
who then grabbed her and threw her down the stairs. She died of a broken neck
and Billop was never accused or tried for her murder. Billop and this serving girl have haunted Billop House for 223 years.
The ghosts of British soldiers are also seen on the property.
Billop House or Bentley Manor
** is a stately stone mansion that was built in 1680 on 1,600 acres of land. The Colonel inherited this home -- his great grandfather built it. This house overlooks Staten Island Sound, specifically Raritan Bay. The mansion includes:
a spacious attic, two floors each with three rooms, a large basement kitchen
and a secret tunnel. This tunnel leads from the home’s root cellar to the edge
of Staten Island Sound. Three years before Billop murdered his servant girl
this tunnel was used for the only official peace conference between the British
and Colonists during the war.
Light green area is Raritan Bay
In 1776 the war was not going
well for the Colonists. The British controlled New Your City, Staten and Long
Islands. The Colonists in September were near defeat so it was
arranged by Lord Richard Howe to meet with Benjamin Franklin, Edward Rutledge
and John Adams at Billop House. Howe after emphasizing that the British
intended to end the Revolution and crush its leaders offered to end the war if
the Colonists would swear allegiance to England.
Considering this tone it is
not a surprise that Adams and the others refused this offer. Colonel Billop
took great delight in the fact that these talks ended the first day. He felt
these traitors to England would shortly be destroyed. After this Billop’s
mansion was given a new nickname, “Conference House”. Billop was very happy his
home now symbolized his loyalty to the British and even more important
England’s power.
Throughout the war Billop
opened his home to British soldiers that needed to rest--his large basement
kitchen was converted into a hospital. Often soldiers were smuggled into his
home at night through the tunnel. Soldiers that died at the home were hastily
buried around the large estate for there was no time for funerals. It is stated
this is most likely the reason why the ghosts of British soldiers wearing
redcoats are still seen on the property today.
Billop’s vehemence toward
patriots during the war made him a target. He was kidnapped and held for ransom
twice. In June of 1779 a group of patriots rowed across from Perth Amboy in New
Jersey. Billop was held for two months. The second time he was kidnapped was in
November of the same year. Both times he was held as a P.O.W. in the Burlington
County jail in New Jersey. He was chained to the floor and only fed bread and
water. He was told this was retaliation for prisoners held by the British. The second time he again was held for two months and then released just after Christmas.
When Billop returned home he
was convinced that one of his servants had aided in these kidnappings. He had
seen a servant girl place a lantern in a second floor window, which he felt
must have been a signal to the men supposedly hidden at a church steeple in
Perth Amboy. When next he saw this servant girl place a lantern in this window
he went mad.
“He bellowed at her and then threw her down a flight
of stairs killing her.”
It was mentioned after this
that the poor girl was just doing one of her nightly chores. Billop had her
body buried in an unmarked grave on the property.
Bentley Manor or Billop House
Rear view
When the war ended Billop
fled to New Brunswick, Canada where he lived until he died at the age of ninety
in 1827. In 1783 Billop House was confiscated by the state of New York. Over
the years it was used first as a multi-family home, a 19th century
hotel and then a rat-poison factory. In 1929 a non-profit organization called Conference House Association prevented
the house from being torn down, they have maintained it ever since. The grounds
today consist of only 226 acres and the property is now called Conference Park.
This association does not allow paranormal investigations.
For years neighbors have
reported that the home and property appear to be haunted. Reports include:
soldiers wearing redcoats wandering the gardens, kitchen and the tunnel. A man
has been heard singing and others have reported being tapped on the shoulder by an unseen hand. Many state that there is a residual haunting of the murder. A man
is heard shouting loudly, then a woman screams as sounds of her falling are
heard. This struggle is heard over and over again.
The servant girl’s grave has
never been found and the exact number of ghosts and their names, except
Billops, has never been discovered.
*Billop House is the only pre-Revolutionary
manor house still surviving in New York City. It was added to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1982.
